US20090146829A1 - Video-enabled rapid response system and method - Google Patents
Video-enabled rapid response system and method Download PDFInfo
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- US20090146829A1 US20090146829A1 US11/952,739 US95273907A US2009146829A1 US 20090146829 A1 US20090146829 A1 US 20090146829A1 US 95273907 A US95273907 A US 95273907A US 2009146829 A1 US2009146829 A1 US 2009146829A1
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
- G06F16/70—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of video data
- G06F16/78—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
- G06F16/783—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually using metadata automatically derived from the content
- G06F16/7837—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually using metadata automatically derived from the content using objects detected or recognised in the video content
- G06F16/784—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually using metadata automatically derived from the content using objects detected or recognised in the video content the detected or recognised objects being people
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- Embodiments are generally related to data-processing methods and systems. Embodiments are also related to rapid incident response systems.
- a number of systems have been utilized to permit notification to designated persons as first responders in the event of an emergency. It is common practice, for example, to increase incident response times by rapidly passing alert information to the closest person in a very large dynamic environment, such as a large facility, airport or shopping mall. The majority of applications require personnel to be free to move over a wide range of the facility. An example might be a large shopping mall with a security staff. The security people can patrol the facility, but when an incident occurs, it is important that the closest person to the incident or event respond quickly. Other examples might be custodians or sales people in a retail environment or medical personnel in a large hospital.
- First responders are personnel who provide law enforcement, safety and protection services to the public.
- First responders include law enforcement officers such as police, sheriff, highway patrol, detectives, special law enforcement, FBI, DEA, military personnel, border patrol, and so forth.
- First responders also include fire and safety personnel, such as, for example, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, Red Cross personnel, and other emergency workers.
- Typical methods utilized to maintain accountability of first response personnel are manual methods.
- the usual procedure involves the use of some physical means of identifying whether a responder is present at the incident scene, and in some cases, identifying where the responder is assigned during the emergency.
- these methods are manual in nature, they do not provide a technique or approach for accurately accounting for all first responder personnel at an incident site; nor do such manual techniques provide ways to dynamically track the actual location or movement of first responder personnel around the incident site as the emergency unfolds. Consequently, incident command and control personnel do not possess detailed information regarding the location of the first responders and can quickly lose track of first responders.
- a video-enabled rapid response system and method that integrates identification technology and video tracking technology in order to rapidly alert a closest person to an incident.
- the system includes a strong identification mechanism utilizing identification technology to get a positive identification on a person and a weak identification mechanism utilizing video tracking technology to maintain location information for the person moving about a large facility.
- the disclosed system can rapidly determine the closest person with skills and or authority to respond when an incident occurs at a particular location and then pass an alert to them via an RF paging mechanism.
- the disclosed system combines strong and weak identification mechanism in order to provide accurate subject identification and tracking over the large facility.
- the strong identification mechanism can uniquely identify a subject by matching to a long-term database of enrolled people.
- a number of technologies including RFID and biometrics can provide strong identification.
- the ID, appearance model and Most Recent Location (MRL) of the subject can be stored in a short-term database.
- the weak identification mechanism matches the subject between video camera sequences over a short period of time. When an incident occurs, the short-term database can be searched to find the closest appropriate person and then an alert can be passed to them via a paging mechanism.
- the weak identification mechanism can be utilized to determine whether it is the same person as seen in a previous scene or a different camera.
- the strong identification mechanisms typically are expensive and require some degree of subject cooperation and interaction, and can be used sparingly.
- the weak identification mechanisms can be done with standard video cameras, which are less expensive, cover greater areas and can be utilized for multiple applications such as surveillance.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a data-processing apparatus, which can be utilized for determining the closest person to an event and passing an alert message in an emergency situation, in accordance with a preferred embodiment
- FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram showing main components of a video-enabled rapid response system which can be implemented, in accordance with a preferred embodiment
- FIG. 3 illustrates a high level flow chart of operations illustrating logical operational steps of a method for determining the closest person to an event and passing an alert message in an emergency situation, in accordance with a preferred embodiment
- FIG. 4 illustrates a detailed flow chart of operations illustrating logical operational steps of a method for determining the closest person to an event and passing an alert message in an emergency situation using strong and weak identification mechanism, in accordance with a preferred embodiment.
- Data-processing system 100 which can be utilized for determining a closest person and passing an alert message in an emergency situation in accordance with a preferred embodiment.
- Data-processing system 100 represents one of many possible data-processing and/or computing devices, which can be utilized in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. It can be appreciated that data-processing system 100 and its components are presented for generally illustrative purposes only and do not constitute limiting features of the disclosed embodiments.
- the data-processing system 100 generally includes a data-processing apparatus 105 , an identification device 160 and a video tracking subsystem 170 .
- modules can be implemented in the context of a host operating system and one or more modules.
- modules may constitute hardware modules, such as, for example, electronic components of a computer system.
- modules may also constitute software modules.
- a software “module” can be typically implemented as a collection of routines and data structures that performs particular tasks or implements a particular abstract data type.
- the data processing system 100 is essentially a computer that include an input interface 130 for receiving data, a CPU 135 , a memory 145 including a read only memory (ROM) 120 and a random access memory (RAM) 125 , and an output interface 110 .
- Memory 145 can be implemented as a ROM 120 , RAM 125 , or a combination thereof, or simply a general memory unit. Module 150 can be stored within memory 145 and then retrieved and processed via processor 135 to perform a particular task.
- the input interface 140 such as a keyboard, mouse, or another pointing device, can be connected to CPU 135 .
- One or more programs and data for identifying a subject are stored in the ROM 120 .
- the ROM 120 may be a rewritable ROM such as an EPROM. Data information can be stored in a software module, for example a database in memory 145 .
- Software modules generally can include instruction media storable within a memory location of an image processing apparatus and are typically composed of two parts.
- a software module may list the constants, data types, variable, routines and the like that can be accessed by other modules or routines.
- a software module can be configured as an implementation, which can be private (i.e., accessible perhaps only to the module), and that contains the source code that actually implements the routines or subroutines upon which the module is based.
- the term “module” as utilized herein can therefore generally refer to software modules or implementations thereof. Such modules can be utilized separately or together to form a program product that can be implemented through signal-bearing media, including transmission media and/or recordable media. An example of such a module is module 150 depicted in FIG. 1 .
- the wireless identification device 160 includes a controller mechanism 165 for acquiring, processing and transmitting data signals.
- a number of technologies including RFID and biometrics can provide strong identification.
- An identification device 160 may be any type of device which is capable of identifying or providing characteristic information for a subject, including, for example, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags.
- RFID Radio Frequency Identification
- the identification device controller mechanism 165 may be in the form of a printed circuit board (PCB) or other processing unit or electronics structure. Further, the controller mechanism 165 is capable of acquiring data signals from an external source, processing data, storing data in a storage sub-component and/or transmitting data signals to an external system or network.
- the video tracking subsystem 170 can be configured to automatically provide subject identification, appearance models and to maintain location information associated with a particular subject.
- the video tracking subsystem 170 can include the use of various video analysis algorithms.
- the data-processing device 105 processes digitized video with the various algorithms so as to automatically monitor a video image and identify and track subjects as they move from one video frame or scene to another.
- the video tracking subsystem 170 may identify subjects by accessing a database stored in the memory 145 of appearance models for known subjects.
- the image to be analyzed may be provided in real time from one or more cameras and/or from storage (e.g., memory).
- the video tracking subsystem 170 includes multiple video cameras such as video camera 1 , video camera 2 and video camera n, as indicated by reference numerals 180 , 181 and 182 and video storage and retrieval units 175 which can be coupled to each other and to a multiple video digitization and compression units 185 .
- the video cameras 180 , 181 and 182 can provide real time video containing subjects to be identified.
- the video storage and retrieval units 175 may be, for example, a VCR, DVD, CD or hard disk unit.
- the video digitization and compression units 185 are generally coupled to a data-processing device 105 that is configured to automatically monitor video images and identify and track and subjects over time within a sequence of images.
- the digitization and compression units 185 can also convert analog video and audio into, for example, MPEG format, Real Player format, etc.
- GUI generally refers to a type of environment that represents programs, files, options and so forth by means of graphically displayed icons, menus, and dialog boxes on a computer monitor screen.
- a user can interact with the GUI 155 to select and activate such options by pointing and clicking with a user input device such as, for example, a pointing device such as a mouse, and/or with a keyboard.
- a user input device such as, for example, a pointing device such as a mouse, and/or with a keyboard.
- a particular item can function in the same manner to the user in all applications because the GUI 155 provides standard software routines (e.g., module 150 ) to handle these elements and reports the user's actions.
- the video-enabled rapid response system 200 generally includes a strong identification mechanism 210 and a weak identification mechanism 220 .
- the video-enabled rapid response system 200 can be similarly configured for use in any of a number of surveillance or other applications.
- the system 200 can be applied to various situations in which tracking moving subjects is needed.
- One such situation is security surveillance in public areas such as airports, military bases, home security systems, and so forth.
- the system 200 can also be utilized to automatically identify and notify proper individuals (e.g., sales people in a retail environment, medical personnel in a large hospital, etc.).
- the wireless identification device 160 depicted in FIG. 1 can be utilized, for example, to implement the strong identification mechanism 210 .
- the strong identification mechanism 210 further includes a long term database 240 , which stores strong ID features, true identities and authorizations of a subject. For example, during a training procedure, one or more wireless tag IDs can be stored by the rapid response system 200 and, optionally, associated with specific users, such as by their name or employee number. Note that various security protocols may be implemented where specific users are allowed to access only certain portions of a building, such as rooms or floors.
- the weak identification mechanism 220 can, in parallel, compute a short-term appearance model to represent how a subject appears on a particular occasion.
- the ID and appearance model can be stored in a short-term database 250 .
- the Most Recent Location (MRL) of the subject can also be stored in the short-term database 250 .
- a facility can then be covered by the weak identification mechanism 220 such as a videotracking subsystem 170 as illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- One or more separated systems 230 can be formed by combing the strong identification mechanism 210 and the weak identification mechanism 220 .
- the weak identification mechanism 220 When subjects are seen by the weak identification mechanism 220 , their features are compared to appearance models stored in the short-term database 250 in order to get a match. If a match is found, the MRL (Most Recent Location) can be updated for the subject. Hence, the subject's location can be tracked throughout the facility.
- the short-term database 250 can be searched to find the closest appropriate person and then an alerting system 260 can pass an alert signal to a paging mechanism 280 through an alert manager 270 .
- the strong identification 210 can uniquely identify an individual by matching to the long-term database 240 of enrolled people.
- the weak identification mechanism 220 can be utilized to determine the appearance model of the subject as seen in a previous scene or a different camera.
- the alerting system 260 receives the ID features from the long-term database 240 and the updated most recent location from the short-term database 250 .
- the system 200 can also be configured to alert a number of close people depending on the type of need.
- FIG. 3 a high level flow chart of operations depicting logical operational steps of a method 300 for determining the closest person to an incident and passing an alert message in an emergency situation is illustrated, in accordance with a preferred embodiment.
- the method 300 indicated in FIG. 3 can be implemented in the context of a software module such as, for example, the module 150 of data-processing apparatus 105 depicted in FIG. 1 .
- the strong ID system 210 and the weak ID system 220 can be configured, as depicted at block 310 .
- identification features of a subject can be stored in a long-term database 240 utilizing strong ID system 210 .
- the subject appearance model and most recent location of the subject can be stored in a short term database 250 utilizing weak ID system 220 , as shown at block 330 .
- the weak ID system 220 can be configured as the video tracking subsystem 170 as depicted in FIG. 1 .
- the incoming appearance model can be compared to stored appearance model of the subject, as depicted at block 350 .
- the system 200 may receive incoming video images from the video cameras 180 , 181 and 182 in real time, pre-recorded from the video storage and retrieval units 175 and/or a memory integral to the data-processing apparatus 105 .
- a determination can be made whether a match is found, as depicted at block 360 .
- step 380 a determination can be made whether an event can be detected. If an event is detected the closest appropriated subject can be determined from stored short-term database 250 , as shown at block 390 . An alert can be sent to the appropriate subject, as depicted at block 395 , Otherwise, the process can be continued to step 350 .
- FIG. 4 a detailed flow chart of operations illustrating logical operational steps of a method 400 for determining the closest person to an incident and passing an alert message in an emergency situation using the identification mechanisms 210 and 220 is illustrated, in accordance with a preferred embodiment.
- the method 400 depicted in FIG. 4 can be implemented in the context of a software module such as, for example, the module 150 of data-processing apparatus 105 depicted in FIG. 1 .
- the system 200 can be provided, through the use of one or more software modules as described above, which results for rapidly alerting a closest person to an incident.
- the strong ID system 210 typically is more expensive and requires some degree of subject cooperation and interaction, so they can be utilized sparingly.
- the weak identification mechanism 220 can be done with standard video cameras, which are less expensive, cover greater areas and can be used for multiple applications such as surveillance.
- the video-enabled rapid response system 200 can combine the strong ID system 210 and weak ID system 220 and can provide accurate subject identification and tracking over large areas.
- the system 200 can rapidly determine the closest person with skills and or authority to respond and then pass an alert to them via an RF paging mechanism 280 when an incident occurs at a particular location.
- the system 200 can also be configured to alert a number of people depending on the type of need.
- the incident response time can be decreased rapidly by passing alert information to the closet person or the first responder.
- the system described herein also can be adapted for use for non-emergency/alert applications where there is still a need to dispatch appropriate personnel to a location in a dynamic environment. A typical such application would dispatch security personnel to an incident in a large office building or sales personnel to a customer in a large retail establishment.
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Abstract
Description
- Embodiments are generally related to data-processing methods and systems. Embodiments are also related to rapid incident response systems.
- Large facilities are typically subject to incidents and other events that need to be handled quickly by appropriate personnel. A number of systems have been utilized to permit notification to designated persons as first responders in the event of an emergency. It is common practice, for example, to increase incident response times by rapidly passing alert information to the closest person in a very large dynamic environment, such as a large facility, airport or shopping mall. The majority of applications require personnel to be free to move over a wide range of the facility. An example might be a large shopping mall with a security staff. The security people can patrol the facility, but when an incident occurs, it is important that the closest person to the incident or event respond quickly. Other examples might be custodians or sales people in a retail environment or medical personnel in a large hospital.
- First responders are personnel who provide law enforcement, safety and protection services to the public. First responders include law enforcement officers such as police, sheriff, highway patrol, detectives, special law enforcement, FBI, DEA, military personnel, border patrol, and so forth. First responders also include fire and safety personnel, such as, for example, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, Red Cross personnel, and other emergency workers.
- The majority of prior art rapid response systems have limited communications capabilities. Adequate situational awareness is also lacking among first responder personnel and there is not a method for “knowing” the location of the various first responders at the incident scene. The lack of voice communications among the different groups of first responders means that there is no real location information available, and the only situational awareness even available is limited information generated by members of the same agency.
- Typical methods utilized to maintain accountability of first response personnel are manual methods. In each of these manual methods, the usual procedure involves the use of some physical means of identifying whether a responder is present at the incident scene, and in some cases, identifying where the responder is assigned during the emergency. Because these methods are manual in nature, they do not provide a technique or approach for accurately accounting for all first responder personnel at an incident site; nor do such manual techniques provide ways to dynamically track the actual location or movement of first responder personnel around the incident site as the emergency unfolds. Consequently, incident command and control personnel do not possess detailed information regarding the location of the first responders and can quickly lose track of first responders.
- This cascading effect typically results in slower response times to emergencies, less-than-optimal deployment, and a much higher level of risk for the first responders and the incident victims. Consequently, there is a need among first responders to be provided with an accountability of and interoperable communications among all responders at an incident site, as well as a high level of situational awareness in order to provide greater safety and increased efficiency in use of the resources at the incident scene.
- Based on the foregoing it is believed that a need exists for an improved method and system method for determining the closest person with respect to an incident, and passing an alert message in an emergency situation within a defined area.
- The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the embodiments disclosed and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the embodiments can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.
- It is, therefore, one aspect of the present invention to provide for an improved data-processing method and system.
- It is another aspect of the present invention to provide for an improved rapid incident response system.
- It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide for an improved method and system for determining the closest person to an incident or emergency, and passing alert messages in an emergency situation within a defined area.
- The aforementioned aspects and other objectives and advantages can now be achieved as described herein. A video-enabled rapid response system and method that integrates identification technology and video tracking technology in order to rapidly alert a closest person to an incident. The system includes a strong identification mechanism utilizing identification technology to get a positive identification on a person and a weak identification mechanism utilizing video tracking technology to maintain location information for the person moving about a large facility. The disclosed system can rapidly determine the closest person with skills and or authority to respond when an incident occurs at a particular location and then pass an alert to them via an RF paging mechanism. The disclosed system combines strong and weak identification mechanism in order to provide accurate subject identification and tracking over the large facility.
- The strong identification mechanism can uniquely identify a subject by matching to a long-term database of enrolled people. A number of technologies including RFID and biometrics can provide strong identification. The ID, appearance model and Most Recent Location (MRL) of the subject can be stored in a short-term database. The weak identification mechanism matches the subject between video camera sequences over a short period of time. When an incident occurs, the short-term database can be searched to find the closest appropriate person and then an alert can be passed to them via a paging mechanism. The weak identification mechanism can be utilized to determine whether it is the same person as seen in a previous scene or a different camera. The strong identification mechanisms typically are expensive and require some degree of subject cooperation and interaction, and can be used sparingly. The weak identification mechanisms can be done with standard video cameras, which are less expensive, cover greater areas and can be utilized for multiple applications such as surveillance.
- The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally-similar elements throughout the separate views and which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, further illustrate the embodiments and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the embodiments disclosed herein.
-
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a data-processing apparatus, which can be utilized for determining the closest person to an event and passing an alert message in an emergency situation, in accordance with a preferred embodiment; -
FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram showing main components of a video-enabled rapid response system which can be implemented, in accordance with a preferred embodiment; -
FIG. 3 illustrates a high level flow chart of operations illustrating logical operational steps of a method for determining the closest person to an event and passing an alert message in an emergency situation, in accordance with a preferred embodiment; and -
FIG. 4 illustrates a detailed flow chart of operations illustrating logical operational steps of a method for determining the closest person to an event and passing an alert message in an emergency situation using strong and weak identification mechanism, in accordance with a preferred embodiment. - The particular values and configurations discussed in these non-limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate at least one embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope thereof.
- Referring to the drawings and in particular to
FIG. 1 , there is depicted a data-processing system 100 which can be utilized for determining a closest person and passing an alert message in an emergency situation in accordance with a preferred embodiment. Data-processing system 100 represents one of many possible data-processing and/or computing devices, which can be utilized in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. It can be appreciated that data-processing system 100 and its components are presented for generally illustrative purposes only and do not constitute limiting features of the disclosed embodiments. The data-processing system 100 generally includes a data-processing apparatus 105, anidentification device 160 and avideo tracking subsystem 170. - The embodiments described herein can be implemented in the context of a host operating system and one or more modules. Such modules may constitute hardware modules, such as, for example, electronic components of a computer system. Such modules may also constitute software modules. In the computer programming arts, a software “module” can be typically implemented as a collection of routines and data structures that performs particular tasks or implements a particular abstract data type.
- The
data processing system 100 is essentially a computer that include an input interface 130 for receiving data, aCPU 135, amemory 145 including a read only memory (ROM) 120 and a random access memory (RAM) 125, and anoutput interface 110.Memory 145 can be implemented as aROM 120,RAM 125, or a combination thereof, or simply a general memory unit.Module 150 can be stored withinmemory 145 and then retrieved and processed viaprocessor 135 to perform a particular task. Theinput interface 140, such as a keyboard, mouse, or another pointing device, can be connected toCPU 135. One or more programs and data for identifying a subject are stored in theROM 120. TheROM 120 may be a rewritable ROM such as an EPROM. Data information can be stored in a software module, for example a database inmemory 145. - Software modules generally can include instruction media storable within a memory location of an image processing apparatus and are typically composed of two parts. First, a software module may list the constants, data types, variable, routines and the like that can be accessed by other modules or routines. Second, a software module can be configured as an implementation, which can be private (i.e., accessible perhaps only to the module), and that contains the source code that actually implements the routines or subroutines upon which the module is based. The term “module” as utilized herein can therefore generally refer to software modules or implementations thereof. Such modules can be utilized separately or together to form a program product that can be implemented through signal-bearing media, including transmission media and/or recordable media. An example of such a module is
module 150 depicted inFIG. 1 . - It is important to note that, although the embodiments are described in the context of a fully functional data-processing system (e.g., a computer system), those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the embodiments are capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal-bearing media utilized to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of signal bearing media include, but are not limited to, recordable-type media such as media storage or CD ROMs and transmission-type media such as analogue or digital communications links. The logical operation steps depicted in
FIGS. 3-4 can, for example, be implemented in the context of such a software module. - The
wireless identification device 160 includes acontroller mechanism 165 for acquiring, processing and transmitting data signals. A number of technologies including RFID and biometrics can provide strong identification. Anidentification device 160 may be any type of device which is capable of identifying or providing characteristic information for a subject, including, for example, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. The identificationdevice controller mechanism 165 may be in the form of a printed circuit board (PCB) or other processing unit or electronics structure. Further, thecontroller mechanism 165 is capable of acquiring data signals from an external source, processing data, storing data in a storage sub-component and/or transmitting data signals to an external system or network. - The
video tracking subsystem 170 can be configured to automatically provide subject identification, appearance models and to maintain location information associated with a particular subject. In a preferred embodiment, thevideo tracking subsystem 170 can include the use of various video analysis algorithms. The data-processingdevice 105 processes digitized video with the various algorithms so as to automatically monitor a video image and identify and track subjects as they move from one video frame or scene to another. Thevideo tracking subsystem 170 may identify subjects by accessing a database stored in thememory 145 of appearance models for known subjects. The image to be analyzed may be provided in real time from one or more cameras and/or from storage (e.g., memory). - The
video tracking subsystem 170 includes multiple video cameras such asvideo camera 1,video camera 2 and video camera n, as indicated byreference numerals retrieval units 175 which can be coupled to each other and to a multiple video digitization andcompression units 185. Thevideo cameras retrieval units 175 may be, for example, a VCR, DVD, CD or hard disk unit. The video digitization andcompression units 185 are generally coupled to a data-processingdevice 105 that is configured to automatically monitor video images and identify and track and subjects over time within a sequence of images. The digitization andcompression units 185 can also convert analog video and audio into, for example, MPEG format, Real Player format, etc. - Note that the term “GUI” as utilized herein generally refers to a type of environment that represents programs, files, options and so forth by means of graphically displayed icons, menus, and dialog boxes on a computer monitor screen. A user can interact with the
GUI 155 to select and activate such options by pointing and clicking with a user input device such as, for example, a pointing device such as a mouse, and/or with a keyboard. A particular item can function in the same manner to the user in all applications because theGUI 155 provides standard software routines (e.g., module 150) to handle these elements and reports the user's actions. - Referring to
FIG. 2 , a block diagram is illustrated depicting the main components of a video-enabledrapid response system 200, in accordance with a preferred embodiment. The video-enabledrapid response system 200 generally includes astrong identification mechanism 210 and aweak identification mechanism 220. However, as indicated above the video-enabledrapid response system 200 can be similarly configured for use in any of a number of surveillance or other applications. For example, thesystem 200 can be applied to various situations in which tracking moving subjects is needed. One such situation is security surveillance in public areas such as airports, military bases, home security systems, and so forth. Thesystem 200 can also be utilized to automatically identify and notify proper individuals (e.g., sales people in a retail environment, medical personnel in a large hospital, etc.). - The
wireless identification device 160 depicted inFIG. 1 can be utilized, for example, to implement thestrong identification mechanism 210. Thestrong identification mechanism 210 further includes along term database 240, which stores strong ID features, true identities and authorizations of a subject. For example, during a training procedure, one or more wireless tag IDs can be stored by therapid response system 200 and, optionally, associated with specific users, such as by their name or employee number. Note that various security protocols may be implemented where specific users are allowed to access only certain portions of a building, such as rooms or floors. When the strong identification mechanism identifies a subject theweak identification mechanism 220 can, in parallel, compute a short-term appearance model to represent how a subject appears on a particular occasion. - The ID and appearance model can be stored in a short-
term database 250. The Most Recent Location (MRL) of the subject can also be stored in the short-term database 250. A facility can then be covered by theweak identification mechanism 220 such as avideotracking subsystem 170 as illustrated inFIG. 1 . One or moreseparated systems 230 can be formed by combing thestrong identification mechanism 210 and theweak identification mechanism 220. When subjects are seen by theweak identification mechanism 220, their features are compared to appearance models stored in the short-term database 250 in order to get a match. If a match is found, the MRL (Most Recent Location) can be updated for the subject. Hence, the subject's location can be tracked throughout the facility. - When an incident occurs, the short-
term database 250 can be searched to find the closest appropriate person and then analerting system 260 can pass an alert signal to apaging mechanism 280 through analert manager 270. Thestrong identification 210 can uniquely identify an individual by matching to the long-term database 240 of enrolled people. Theweak identification mechanism 220 can be utilized to determine the appearance model of the subject as seen in a previous scene or a different camera. The alertingsystem 260 receives the ID features from the long-term database 240 and the updated most recent location from the short-term database 250. Thesystem 200 can also be configured to alert a number of close people depending on the type of need. - Referring to
FIG. 3 , a high level flow chart of operations depicting logical operational steps of amethod 300 for determining the closest person to an incident and passing an alert message in an emergency situation is illustrated, in accordance with a preferred embodiment. Note that themethod 300 indicated inFIG. 3 can be implemented in the context of a software module such as, for example, themodule 150 of data-processing apparatus 105 depicted inFIG. 1 . Thestrong ID system 210 and theweak ID system 220 can be configured, as depicted atblock 310. Thereafter, as indicated atblock 320, identification features of a subject can be stored in a long-term database 240 utilizingstrong ID system 210. The subject appearance model and most recent location of the subject can be stored in ashort term database 250 utilizingweak ID system 220, as shown atblock 330. - Next, as described at
block 340, a large facility can be covered by the weak ID system 220.Theweak ID system 220 can be configured as thevideo tracking subsystem 170 as depicted inFIG. 1 . The incoming appearance model can be compared to stored appearance model of the subject, as depicted atblock 350. In operation, in the video analysis mode thesystem 200 may receive incoming video images from thevideo cameras retrieval units 175 and/or a memory integral to the data-processing apparatus 105. A determination can be made whether a match is found, as depicted atblock 360. If a match is found the most recent location for the subject can be updated in theshortterm database 250, as shown atblock 370. Otherwise, the process can be continued to step 350. Next, as depicted atblock 380, a determination can be made whether an event can be detected. If an event is detected the closest appropriated subject can be determined from stored short-term database 250, as shown atblock 390. An alert can be sent to the appropriate subject, as depicted atblock 395, Otherwise, the process can be continued to step 350. - Referring to
FIG. 4 , a detailed flow chart of operations illustrating logical operational steps of amethod 400 for determining the closest person to an incident and passing an alert message in an emergency situation using theidentification mechanisms method 400 depicted inFIG. 4 can be implemented in the context of a software module such as, for example, themodule 150 of data-processing apparatus 105 depicted inFIG. 1 . - A determination can be made whether a subject is at a strong identification point, as depicted at
block 410. If the subject is at strong ID point the subject appearance model and the subject location can be updated, as shown atblock 420. Otherwise, a determination can be made whether a subject is at a weak identification point, as indicated atblock 430. If the subject is at weak ID point the subject location can be updated, as shown atblock 440. Next, as depicted atblock 450, a determination can be made whether an event can be detected. If an event is detected the closet subject can be determined and an alert can be sent to the subject, as depicted atblocks - Based on the foregoing it can be appreciated that the
system 200 can be provided, through the use of one or more software modules as described above, which results for rapidly alerting a closest person to an incident. Thestrong ID system 210 typically is more expensive and requires some degree of subject cooperation and interaction, so they can be utilized sparingly. Theweak identification mechanism 220 can be done with standard video cameras, which are less expensive, cover greater areas and can be used for multiple applications such as surveillance. The video-enabledrapid response system 200 can combine thestrong ID system 210 andweak ID system 220 and can provide accurate subject identification and tracking over large areas. Thesystem 200 can rapidly determine the closest person with skills and or authority to respond and then pass an alert to them via anRF paging mechanism 280 when an incident occurs at a particular location. Thesystem 200 can also be configured to alert a number of people depending on the type of need. - It is believed that by utilizing the system and approach described herein, the incident response time can be decreased rapidly by passing alert information to the closet person or the first responder. The system described herein also can be adapted for use for non-emergency/alert applications where there is still a need to dispatch appropriate personnel to a location in a dynamic environment. A typical such application would dispatch security personnel to an incident in a large office building or sales personnel to a customer in a large retail establishment.
- It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
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